1. Field of the Invention
This is a partial-oxidation process in which synthesis gas having a controlled H.sub.2 /CO mole ratio and either a CO-rich gas or substantially pure CO are simultaneously produced. Methanol may be made from the synthesis gas and then may be reacted with the CO-rich gas or with substantially pure CO to produce acetic acid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Synthesis gas may be prepared by partial oxidation of a fossil fuel with a free-oxygen-containing gas, optionally in the presence of a temperature moderator. The effluent gas stream from the gas generator is cooled (below the temperature at which the gas composition approaches equilibrium) by, for example, direct immersion in water in a quench drum such as described in coassigned U.S. Pat. No. 2,896,927. By this method of gas cooling the sensible heat in the effluent gas stream is used to produce steam in the product gas.
Alternatively, the effluent gas stream from the gas generator may be cooled in a syngas cooler, such as shown in coassigned U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,717. By this method of gas cooling, the effluent gas stream does not become saturated with the water. In coassigned U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,429, in order to prepare an oil-carbon dispersion and a separate water-carbon dispersion which are simultaneously fed to a gas generator for producing fuel gas, a portion of the effluent gas stream is cooled in a syngas cooler and then scrubbed with oil; and another stream is quenched in water. Noncatalytic thermal shift is used to adjust the H.sub.2 /CO mole ratio of a single stream of synthesis gas in coassigned U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,717.